Posts tagged ‘healthy on a budget’

December 18th, 2012

Healthy on a Budget: The Roundup

by Tiff

Since last week’s Healthy on a Budget post focused primarily on what not to do, I want to end the series on a more positive note.  I’ve thrown together a little roundup to wind down the series.

Before getting to the links, I want to share a couple of yesterday’s meals.  Dinner was affordable, healthy, and super tasty.  I was cooking for one, so I just threw together some things I had in the house.

pasta

Pasta (a pantry staple), frozen spinach (a freezer staple), pasta sauce (a fridge staple), and leftover sliced pepper and onion I had in the fridge.  I added some 99% lean ground turkey, which was on sale at the grocery store for $4.99/lb this week.  So easy!

lunch

It was a bit crazy at the office yesterday, so the company provided lunch from Panera - moderately healthy, incredibly good, and ridiculously cheap (at least for the employees).

My Healthy on a Budget Links:

Excellent Free Workout Links:

Helpful Budget Recipe Links:

Random Extras for Frugal Fitnessistas:

budget

Got any good links to add?

Posted in Link Love | 13 Comments »

Tags: , , , ,
December 11th, 2012

Healthy on a Budget: What to avoid

by Tiff

This might be the last Healthy on a Budget series post. I hope not since this focuses on what not to do, and I like to sandwich a negative between two positives. Actually, I like to sandwich just about anything, but that’s beside the point.

budgetIn case you missed the other posts…

1. Don’t dine out. Why is something so simple also so hard? It’s true though. I can order an unhealthy lasagna dish at a restaurant for $17 before tax and tip, or I can cook my healthier veggie lasagna recipe for $2.16 per serving. That’s based on 6 servings, so if we hold serving size constant, it’s $3.24 for 4 servings. That’s seems huge, but try multiplying it by 2 for date night with a couple drinks. Yowzah!

lasagna

2. Don’t be fooled by fancy packaging. There are lots of healthy foods out there with very pretty packaging, but that doesn’t mean they’re any better than Plain-Jane goods. For instance, fancy potato chips can be pricey, especially on a per-oz basis. It’s not hard to roast your own potato slices or cubes though. Sweet potato “fries” anyone? If you’re a sucker for overpriced 100-calorie packs of treats, I bet you can create better tasting ones yourself. If you like portion control, make things that can be frozen and reheated for PMS week desperate times.

3. Don’t overdo the booze. I’m a total Negative Nelly today, aren’t I? Booze adds up though, especially if you’re not drinking at home. Restaurants commonly mark up alcohol prices by about 200%. Wine Enthusiast Magazine explains the reason behind the markups, but no matter where you drink, you’ll save money if you drink less – end of story.

da vinci

4. Don’t stick to the recipe. Sometimes I have a recipe in-mind, but I later find the grocery store to have one ingredient priced waaaay too high. I just substitute frozen goods or a vegan alternative, or I try a new veggie. Scallops not on sale? Buy shrimp. Organic beef a little pricey? Try Morningstar Farms veggie crumbles. Leftover wine that might not still taste good in your glass can still add unexpected umph to an entree.

5. Don’t go ga-ga for organic. Organic goods benefit more than your body, so if I had the willpower and the means to buy everything organic, I would. However, that’s just not in the cards for me, and I bet a lot of you are in the same boat. If you’re going to make a few organic splurges, don’t spend a bunch of money on organic junk foods. I think Kate Geagan, MS, RD says it best:

Just because it’s organic doesn’t mean it’s healthy! Organic soda, ice cream and potato chips, for instance, are still high calorie splurges that can pack on the pounds and pad your grocery bill.

6. Don’t be a meathead. I’m not vegetarian, but I don’t eat a lot of meat. Sometimes Kevin and I will split a chicken breast in a stir fry or other one-pot meal. We still get all the protein we need from the veggies, grains, and/or any added beans or cheese. This is much better for the grocery bill!

salami

Of course, “growing” boys still deserve extra meat if they really want it…

  • Are you a sucker for any of these, or do you have more to add to the list?

Posted in Food | 15 Comments »

Tags: , , , ,
December 4th, 2012

Healthy on a Budget: Gifts that Keep Giving

by Tiff

Many of you are knocking out that Christmas shopping, and I bet a lot of you are probably also making wishlists.  (Yup – mine just keeps growing!)  I’ve created a list of holiday gifts that keep on giving.  For that reason, I’ve added them to my Healthy on a Budget series.

budget

In case you missed previous series posts:

1. Slow Cooker.  If you don’t own one of these babies yet, put it on your wishlist.  Slow cooking and budget meals go hand-in-hand.  You can make lean cuts of meat tender without added fat.  In contrast, you can purchase cheaper cuts of meat, cook them slowly, and then drain off the extra fat and juices at the end.  I also use mine for vegetarian meals with fresh or frozen veggies.  I’m a fan of my buffalo chicken, salsa chicken, and spicy lentil soup.  I also love this vegetarian curry, and Kevin’s crazy about this beef in red wine gravy meal.

2. Fitness gear.  I’m not going to recap how great it is to have a little equipment at home since I covered most of it in last week’s Frugal Fitness post, but you’ll be surprised how much you can get out of a few dumbbells, resistance bands, and a stability ball.

3.  Of-the-Month club. Though wine of the month, cookie of the month, and possibly even Clark Griswald’s jelly of the month clubs all sound appealing, that doesn’t fit into my Healthy on a Budget list.  I’m talking about fruit or veggies of the month.  I asked for a Harry & David fruit club membership in college, and while I think it may have been a bit overpriced, it was very much appreciated.  Perhaps you can find a local CSA to deliver to your door too.

clark

4. Storage containers.  Lamest gift ever?  Perhaps.  Incredibly useful for months or years to come?  Heck yeah.  Packed lunches or smartly stored leftover dinners contribute to a healthy waistline and a healthy wallet.  Kevin and I are both very good about prepped lunches, so these are an must at our house.  Glass containers are becoming even more affordable, but let’s face it, if someone else gets it for you, the price is definitely right.

  • So those are my top pics – what are yours?

Posted in Food | 18 Comments »

Tags: , , , , , ,
November 27th, 2012

Healthy on a Budget: Frugal Fitness

by Tiff

I can’t believe I almost forgot about my weekly Healthy on a Budget series!  I created a new recipe yesterday, but I guess you’ll just have to wait for that.  I know, I know… the anticipation’s killing you, right?

budget

In case you missed it, here are previous Healthy on a Budget posts:

This week I’m focusing on Frugal Fitness.  We’re all trying to burn off that pie, but we’re still feeling broke after buying huge turkeys and hitting Black Friday sales too.  Just me?  Oh come on – I’m not the only one.   Here are tips to stay fit without breaking the bank.

1.  Run for the love of running, not the sweet gear.  GPS watches, sport gloves, fancy headphones, compression gear, etc. are all pretty friggin’ cool.  However, for a runner on a budget, a couple decent sports bras, some well-fitting shorts, and a good pair of shoes will suit you just fine.  If you must have awesome gear, run for it.  Rewarding yourself with moisture-wicking socks will be more beneficial than a cupcake.

race

Race Bling’s Perfectly Okay

2.  Ditch the cardio machines.  If you’re considering the purchase of a new treadmill, elliptical, or bike for your home, consider other options first.  Check out cardio DVDs from your library, or scoop up cheap ones online, like from Collage Video.  You can also find great circuit workouts on blogs and websites, like Body Rock.  Supplement these with plenty of runs/walks outdoors.  If things don’t work out and your $9 video collects dust, you’ll still be better off than having a $900 rowing machine collecting dust instead.

cv

Collage Video

3.  Ditch the gym.  I go to the gym.  I love it.  It’s worth it to me, and I have a fabulous rate.  BUT – before I scored my awesome rate, I worked out at home for about 7 months.  *Note, this was before I started running again; I stayed fit with minimal equipment and lots of power walking.  I already owned a pair of 8-lb dumbbells and a stability ball, so I added to that with a Women’s Health kit.

Men's Health Kit

Same idea, but the  Women’s Health kit was better

4.  Burn Calories, Not Dollars.  Anyone can buy fitness equipment, but it takes motivation, willpower, and a plan to actually use the equipment.  Don’t waste your money on goofy fitness fads; instead, stick to tried-and-true products that might actually give you results.  Here are a few of my favorites:

  •  Jump Rope – seriously cheap, seriously effective
  • Stability Ball – if you have room to store it
  • Resistance Bands – a must!
  • Dumbbells – if you have the space and money

Links!  Here are a few links for frugal fitness.  I will be adding a new home-friendly workout soon, so be sure to check back for that.

 

  • How do you stay fit on a budget?

Posted in Fitness | 22 Comments »

Tags: , , , , ,
November 13th, 2012

Healthy on a Budget: Pantry Staples

by Tiff

I’m glad to hear you all are interested in the Healthy on a Budget series. I plan to throw something together every Tuesday until I run out of ideas, get tired of it, or win the lottery.

Wish me luck…

budget

This week’s topic – Pantry Staples. We all seem to have a few things that are always stocked in our pantry. I’ve had the same half-used jar of Nutella since I made those Nutella-Oreo cheesecake bars in August. (I don’t know how it has survived that long either.) Yet, that’s clearly neither “budget’ nor “healthy.” Better examples include:

1. Beans! In my house, some are canned; some aren’t. Some are organic; some aren’t. It really depends on what I”m making, what’s on sale, and what additives are in the non-organic cans.

budgetbeans

Your basic black, kidney, pinto, etc. beans aren’t on the “dirty dozen” list, but they’re often canned with preservatives that don’t sound so appetizing. However, I sometimes pretend I can wash off the preservatives when I rinse & drain them. This pretending generally occurs when beans are on sale…

2. Canned soup. I know canned soup isn’t always the healthiest option due to the sodium content, but a hot bowl of soup can be quite satiating. If you’ve got nothing else at home, and the delivery pizza menu is staring you in the face, be glad you’ve got that soup!

3. Spices. My spice cabinet may not be stocked with the fancy-pantsy stuff, but I use these babies alllllll the time. I have a lot of favorites, but my budget-friendly favorites include chili powder, cumin, curry powder, and cinnamon.

If an ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure, you’re saving money in the long run here. Many spices have anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidants, and anti-grumpy, feel-good properties. Who can be grumpy while eating warm cinnamon raisin bread or piping hot chili? That’s gotta’ be worth something.

spices

4. Grains, grains, and more grains. I keep quinoa and/or millet since they cook faster, brown rice because it’s versatile, and wheat berries & oats because…. uh… because they’re just my favorite, really. I usually buy these from my grocery store’s bulk bins, but sometimes I find great deals (especially on quinoa) on Amazon.

grains

5. Onions/Potatoes/Squash. One bag of yellow onions, white potatoes, or sweet potatoes usually hides somewhere in my pantry. You may also find a squash or two if you’re lucky.

I used to buy onions as-needed, but I go through sooooo many of these! Plus, you can buy an entire bag of potatoes for the same price of two lose ones. Just sayin’. Don’t fear white potatoes; they have a ton of potassium… perhaps to balance out all that sodium in your canned beans n’ soup.

budget

  • What are some of your pantry staples?

Posted in Food | 35 Comments »

Tags: , , , , , ,